Beyond the Burning Hell
(Act IV: The Harrowing)
Caldash trailed the stairs down to the last level of Durance of Hate. He was deep in though while walking. He still was thinking what happened above. As the others busied themselves with the necromancer, Orb'al went closer to him and gave the Khalim's Flail to him. After that, he left the barbarian alone. He has fought many monsters inside, but he succeeded in vanquishing them. However, he felt that his trusty shield won't stand long after received many abuse. The paladin stared the flail at his right hand, and then turned to the other end of the stairs. He whispered something,
Master, I won't disappoint you this time…
Meanwhile, the heroes managed to follow his trail. They were at the second level now. The paladin's trail was easy to spot since there were plenty of corpses behind. Akivsha returned to the others after checked the urdar's corpse. She sighed,
"No doubt, he was here awhile ago! These corpses have the same slashing wound…" Myrrick didn't reply, while Zylene pondered,
"I feel sorry to Caldash. He wasn't around when his family killed, and he couldn't do anything when his master was murdered…it must be hard to live with such painful memories," The sorceress wiped her tears. Somehow she felt herself lucky compared with Caldash. Aliza tried to comfort her, while Akivsha didn't say anything this time. Actually, the rogue mildly surprised. After what happened a while ago, nobody wondered the sudden change. Orb'al stood without say anything. Then the druid tightened his fists, while growled,
"This is the works of the Prime Evils!! What happened to Caldash and me was their fault! I'll ensure that they won't live long enough to make innocent people suffer! No matter what, I have to stop them once and for all!" Zylene and Aliza were quite surprised when they heard the druid's words. Myrrick commanded,
"Let's go! We must find Caldash before Mephisto does!" After that, he turned to Tha'el and cut his bind. Everyone but Akivsha didn't understood this act, yet the druid warned,
"No funny things, Rathma! If I catch you doing something suspicious, I'll make sure that you won't have another chance to do it…" The necromancer smiled sheepishly. Then they continued their journey to the underground.
At the last level, Caldash could smell the stench of blood at his surrounding. Bones and skulls scattered everywhere. However, he laid his sight upon the huge portal, which stood in the middle of the hall. The portal has a surface like water, yet the ripple was small. As the paladin went closer, a melodious, soft voice greeted him,
"Welcome, Caldash! Welcome home! I really missed you so much…" He turned back and saw mist around the Durance of Hate. There was a silhouette floated behind the mist. A creaking sound came, and he spotted Toorc behind him. The Council Member still held his severed part. The voice asked again,
"How is your journey? Is it pleasant? Where are your new friends?" The paladin smiled bitterly as he tried to control himself.
"Yes, I'm all right," he answered, "You have changed a lot, Sankekur…or should I call you Mephisto?" Slowly, something appeared from the mist. It was a thin, emancipated creature. Two-curled horn adorned his head, tentacles sprouted from its lower body and its eyes gleamed maliciously. Its voice turned cold and cruel,
"You too, Caldash! I was amazed when you are able to kill all Council Members single handedly; I believe that you have seen what the hatred is…" Caldash cut his sentence by asking,
"Why did you kill my master, then my family? Why?" He gripped the Sazabi tightly, while Mephisto laughed,
"Khalim is a fool; he refused my offer to work with me! Thanks to weak-willed Sankekur. He was more than willing to help me, unlike your master. Beside, he is not a match against my 'converted' Council Members! Am I right, Toorc?" The fallen Zakarum nodded nervously, but the demon continued,
"Your family simply stand at my way to be Que-Hegan…they're mere an innocent bystanders. Oh, by then there is nobody innocent…" As he heard the explanation, the paladin's face turned cold and hard like usual. Mephisto watched it with amusement,
"Perhaps I make a mistake by taking Sankekur! You possessed more hatred than I thought! Instead this weakling, you should be my vessel then." Caldash hissed,
"You are wrong, Mephisto! What is inside me is not hatred, but justice that demands retribution upon YOU!!" He immediately pulled his sword and shield into an offensive stance. Lord of Hatred merely guarded a distance from him. Then Toorc asked,
"M-my Lord, can we kill him now? Together, we can surely win!" The demon stared him with disgust before he said,
"Nice idea, Toorc! Unfortunately, there were some changes in our plan…and I didn't need you anymore…" Instantly, Mephisto unleashed a bolt of lightning toward the lesser demon. Toorc barely managed to scream as the bolt struck him at the chest and exploded with his body. Caldash didn't flinch even a single inch as he saw the event. He began to speak with a cynic tone,
"You just throw your last chance to win, Mephisto! Get ready to return to the Burning Hell!!"
The demon chuckled, "As I say before, I'm alone enough to kill you!!" With a sudden movement, he cast Poison Nova. The putrid and venomous cloud spread in a circular manner. Caldash brought his shield closer and broke the poison cloud. After avoiding the attack, he charged toward Mephisto immediately. However, the demon was fast enough to send three bolts of lightning. The Paladin could only hide himself behind the shield, as it shook from the impacts. He gritted his teeth as the electrical crackles surrounded his body. Caldash was aware that his shield would not stand for long. It was a matter of time only. Ignoring the pain, he ran again toward Mephisto and cast Might and Concentration aura together.
He sent a long slash toward his opponent. The demon managed to overstep it, yet the paladin persisted to pursue him.
Lord of Hatred frowned in his thought,
How come he can't defeat this mortal? Despite his immense power, he can't even bring this so-called 'holy knight' down! He realized he has to finish the knight before his friends came. Slowly, he began to charge himself, calling forth the unholy power within him. The electrical crackles around him became more intense. Staring the paladin, he hissed,
"Paladin, say your last prayer now! After I finished with you, nobody will recognize your corpse again!" Instead, Caldash lifted his sword and pointed it to the demon. He also brought his shield closer. Silently, he charged himself with Vengeance aura, while whispered solemnly,
"Soon I'll be with you, Master! I'm going to meet with you and my family! May the Light shine over my path," The elemental powers swirled inside his body. As both positioned themselves to deliver a lethal blow, the temple began to shake. The tension between them arose, as the air around them became suffocating.
The heroes arrived before the battle started. It was Aliza who spotted them first.
"Look!" She shouted. Everyone turned to the same direction as her. Had the assassin didn't block him, Myrrick almost ran to aid Caldash. She said with stern words,
"Let him alone, Myrrick! You can't do anything for him now! It is between them alone!"
Zylene protested, "Akivsha, Mephisto is very powerful! Caldash won't have a chance to win if he is alone; he is surely dead…" Akivsha replied back,
"I know, but he won't accept our help no matter what! Remember when he faced the Council of Zakarum before? Beside, he would feel ashamed after what happened above! He already broke his oath; for him his life is nothing! There is nothing we can do, but watch!" The barbarian didn't say anything, but nodded in agreement with her. Everyone watched him, when the assassin continued,
"I think Orb'al has the same thinking as I do," Myrrick turned his attention to Caldash and the demon that prepared themselves to fight.
Mephisto roared to his lungs, and then released Charged Bolt toward the paladin, followed by the skull projectiles and Lightning Bolt. Caldash deflected the first attack, though he was driven back by the impact. Yet, he persisted to forward though his body wasn't able to bear the attack. The projectiles exploded on the shield; at the same time the cracks around it became oblivious. Shouted his war cry, the paladin ran charging toward the demon. Then what happened was mired in a slow motion. Caldash avoided the projectiles while running. He even managed to slash the closest projectiles. Mephisto unleashed the powerful bolt as he went closer. The knight received it with his shield, and it exploded into smithereens. Caldash's left arm was exposed and blood was everywhere. Ignored his wounded arm, he continued to charge and stabbed Mephisto at his chest with his Sazabi. The demon's eye almost bulged out from his socket as the cold steel cuts through his flesh and bones. He writhed in pain, but the paladin lifted him high with his remaining strength. Blackish blood gushed to Caldash's body. Zylene and Aliza were unable to see the event, while Myrrick and Tha'el gasped in shock.
Lord of Hatred tried to allow a little smile, as he was close to verge of death. He hoped that he could transfer his soulstone to Caldash after his poisonous blood weakened the paladin. Suddenly, his face fell when he felt a warm, soothing and purifying aura came out from Caldash. He cursed,
"Damn, Cleansing aura!" The paladin smiled, "I already expected this, Mephisto! Your evil ends here!" However, the demon laughed insanely, instead disappointed,
"Do you think you already won? My death means nothing; Diablo and Baal will carry our plan…nobody is able to stop it, not even you…hehehhehehehe…they will ensure your demise…" The paladin frowned after heard that. Suddenly, the demon grabbed him with his last strength. Caldash struggled but Mephisto won't budge. Slowly, his body was filled with electrical crackles and began to swell. Then he exploded in a violent manner, unleashing a surge of infernal power below. The Black Temple shook violently. Zylene quickly cast Energy Shield to protect the others. Few hours later, the tremors subsidized and the dust slowly settled down. Myrrick was the first among them who moved out.
Akivsha, Orb'al and the others followed. As they checked the surrounding, the Zann-Esu found the battered body not far from the portal.
"Oh, no! IT is Caldash!!" Everyone came near; Akivsha quickly checked the vital signs. Myrrick asked worriedly,
"How is he? Is he dead?" The assassin shook her head in response,
"No, but he will if we aren't bring him immediately to a healer!" The rogue said,
"Could we give him a full rejuvenation potion here?"
"Yes, but he is still need a healer! I don't know what is broken inside him! The potion might alleviate his condition a while," Then Zylene suggested,
"Perhaps we can bring him to Ormus by using the Town Portal…" Everyone nodded in ag reement to her suggestion. Suddenly the necromancer slipped,
"By the way, who'll pursue Diablo? If we want to move him now, do it quickly! Nobody will know what will appear from the portal!" Myrrick replied impatiently,
"Do you have a better idea then?" Before anyone can reply, the portal rippled violently as a bright light came through. Someone appeared from the portal. The heroes readied their stance as a mysterious figure came. The posture looked athletic and the blond strands fell from the head. It was obvious that the mysterious guest was a woman. She wore a red armor and held a long javelin. Her hair was pony-tailed. When the female warrior got closer, Myrrick and Aliza recognized her instantly. The rogue shouted aloud,
"You! You are…the Amazon! Xelana!" The blond woman smiled in response,
"Well, look who is here!" Zylene asked Aliza,
"Do you know her, Aliza?" Aliza answered in the most unpleasant manner,
"Yes, we met her when entering Andariel's lair. She almost killed if we don't help her…" The Amazon immediately cut her sentence,
"Correction, both of you screwed my attempt to kill Andariel!" However, Akivsha shouted to her,
"Excuse me! We have someone dying here, and we have no time to hear your brag right now! If you have something to say, say it now! It is better than waste our time…" Xelana frowned when she heard the rebuke, while Aliza chuckled. Then the Amazon said,
"All right, I was sent here to help you! My order comes from Archangel Tyrael…"
The Zann-Esu surprised, "The Great Tyrael? Where is he?" Xelana stopped her, while explaining,
"Ho, slow down! The Archangel sends me to guide you to the Pandemonium Fortress; as you know Diablo has passed the portal a while ago! So, the Archangel afraid the minions of Hell might ambush you when passing the portal!" Myrrick nodded, and then he turned to the others,
"Zylene, you and Orb'al will bring Caldash to Kurast Harbor! Ask Ormus to help you once you arrived! The rest, including me, will follow Xelana to the Pandemonium Fortress! By the way, tell Deckard Cain to come at once; we might need his expertise there. You can join us after Caldash was healed…" The sorceress and the barbarian nodded, and then they carried the wounded paladin out from the place. Meanwhile, Tha'el picked a purple crystal from the fighting site. Before he put the crystal to his satchel,a javelin struck the ground close to him. He stumbled down to the floor with the crystal. As he arose, the Amazon already took the crystal. He said angrily,
"Hey, would you return that to me?" Xelana disdained him, while answer.
"Why should I? It wasn't yours…" Without warning, Akivsha snatched the crystal from her,
"And it isn't yours either! The crystal is Mephisto's Soulstone…did your mother tell you that picking the things that isn't yours is bad for your health?" The Amazon merely gritted her teeth,
"Nice advice, I'll remember that…" The druid could only sigh; now having two homicidal women was more than he could expect.
"Xelana, can you show us the way?" The Amazon looked him with disdain, before asking,
"Are you the leader now?" Myrrick growled as a reply,
"I was having a bad day, right now! No more jokes!"
"All right then, let's go!"
Everyone felt a prickling sensation as they passed through the portal, then they arrived at the huge fortress. It made from the sturdiest stones from the High Heavens and served as a stronghold for the champions of Light. Myrrick surprised to find few people around the fortress, even their numbers could be counted with fingers. A dark-skinned woman and a sturdy man greeted them warmly,
"Welcome to the Pandemonium Fortress, warriors! We have been waiting your coming for a long time!" Then she pointed herself and her companion,
"My name is Jamella, and he's Halbu! If you need something, just come to our stores!" As they spoke, Deckard Cain called them,
"Warriors, I have been waiting for you an hour ago!" Aliza couldn't keep his surprise,
"Cain! We just send Zylene and Orb'al to tell you to come, yet you always come first!" The Horadrim chuckled only,
"Really, it must become my habit now! Come, the Great Tyrael has been waiting for you!" Xelana shrugged her head only, as they went to the main hall.
The archangel floated on air, while his brilliance filled the entire building. His wings spread widely. Everyone but Tha'el knelt in respect. The necromancer stayed outside, watching them. The being spoke,
"Thanks to the Light, all of you arrive here safely! Xelana, thanks to your help!" The Amazon replied casually,
"Don't mention it, Great Tyrael! I'm glad to serve you…" Then Tyrael turned to Myrrick,
"Mephisto has been killed, but his brothers won't sit quietly…I don't know what they might plan for your world, but I'm sure it might not bode well! I'm glad that you managed to secure Mephisto's Soulstone!" The assassin asked with respect,
"Archangel Tyrael, how come the Soulstones fall to the Three's influence? I thought the Horadrims, the Viz'jerei and the Zakarumites use it to lock their soul and power for good…" The holy being sighed, before he answered the question,
"I wish I could give you the answer, but I don't know either. Somehow the Prime Evils managed to learn the secrets of the Soulstones. There is only one person who can give the answer for your questions…"
"His name was Izual, one of my trusted lieutenants; he's once the bearer of the Angelic Runeblade, Azurewrath. Three millennia ago, he led an attack to the Hellforge in order to prevent the completion of the Demonblade Shadowfang! However, he was overestimated his strength, and eventually overcome by minions of Chaos! The Prime Evils tortures him endlessly until he was forced to give up the Heaven's most guarded secrets. After finished, they threw him out from the Burning Hell. Izual tried to seek forgiveness, but instead he banished to the Chaos because of his treachery. As a punishment, his spirit was placed inside the most terrible creature from the Abyss. Unable to accept his condition, he became insane and wandered in the Burning Hell until now…" Myrrick pondered upon the story; somehow he felt he has not different from Izual. The thought broken when Tyrael said,
"You have to defeat Izual to free him from the endless torture, but be careful! He might see you as enemies, given the suffering that he experienced for millennia!" Akivsha inquired again,
"How about the Soulstones? Could we keep it here?" Suddenly, the holy being spoke in stern tone,
"No, far it from me! The Soulstones must be destroyed immediately, before it spreads its corrupting influence to others…since those stones has the Three's essence inside, keep it only means let the evil to return again with greater power!" Cain added,
"Remember to what happened to the last hero who defeated Diablo, Rayne! He convinced that he must plant the stone inside his body in order to keep the demon contained! Instead, the demon took control of him and slowly transformed the poor man into a walking nightmare…I won't forget the moment when he destroyed Tristram, the city that he selflessly protected before…" Myrrick remembered what he saw when they looked for Cain; also what happened to Griswold. Akivsha was silent; she could recall the last words of Blood Raven before she died. The druid gritted his teeth;
King Leoric, Prince Albrecht, Joanna, Rayne, Blood Raven! They were but few of Diablo's numerous victims! How much more the innocent people must suffer? Sensed the turmoil within everyone, Tyrael gave the comforting words,
"I can sense your anger; however we must keep focused to our objective! Nothing in the mortal plane could contain or destroy the Soulstone, except the Hammer from the Hellforge!"
Aliza asked, "The Hammer from the Hellforge?"
"It is the same Hammer that used to make Shadowfang, therefore the hammer is powerful enough to destroy the same darkness that contaminated the Soulstone…but the Hellforge itself is heavily guarded since Izual's failed attempt! Worse, the Hammer is in the hands of Hephasto the Armorer!" The Amazon surprised,
"Hephasto the Armorer? Who is he?" Cain explained,
"He's once a weaponsmith of Angel Inarius, but succumbs to Mephisto's corrupting power he served in ranks of Hell. Lord of Hatred rewards him with the Hammer and rank of master armorer in the Hellforge. The rank itself is the most coveted among the Overlords of Hell. Not only that, he has two disciples, the Smith and the Butcher…like their master, those demons also served the Three by provide the unholy armaments for their minions. The Butcher has been killed by Rayne when he went to the catacombs at Tristram." Akivsha immediately remembered her fight with the Smith at the Monastery before. Then she commented,
"I believe Hephasto won't easily give his Hammer to us…"
"You're right, assassin! I heard that the demon seek vengeance upon death of his last disciple…you must be careful by then," Finally, the archangel decided to close the conversation,
"I think our conversation is enough now! Take a rest, warriors! All of you must be tired after fighting Mephisto…beside you still waiting your friends at Kurast by now. If you need something, Jamella and Halbu will provide it for you…tomorrow will bring a new wisdom for us…" After that, he closed his wings. Myrrick and the others rose from the floor and left Tyrael alone.
Meanwhile at Kurast Harbor, the barbarian stood stoically at the port. He silently watched stars at the sky. Then Zylene called him,
"Hi, do you mind if I join you here?" Orb'al didn't reply; he turned his sight back to the sky. The Zann-Esu walked near him, while speaking,
"The night sometimes gives us peace…my elders once say that the stars know their own path, unlike us, the frail, mortal humans…" She began to sit at the port,
"Since I joined Myrrick and Aliza, I thought I already know what my destiny is…but I was wrong.
I know nothing!" Zylene turned to the barbarian,
"However, I'm glad that my journey is worth! I began to see what I lack…probably I'll never come back alive after going to the Burning Hell…well, nobody would cry my death then," Orb'al snorted only. Then the sorceress blushed,
"Oh, sorry for my ramblings! By the way, Caldash's condition is going better now! Ormus told me if there is no problem he could walk by tomorrow! So we could follow the others to the Pandemonium Fortress tomorrow…" Once again, there is no answer. Then Zylene rose up and walked toward Orb'al. Suddenly, she kissed him at his lips. The barbarian surprised, yet he didn't refused it. After that, Zylene said to him, while she smiled,
"Consider this as my gratitude…you know? I never kissed a man before; perhaps you are the first man I kissed! Good bye…" As she left the pier, Orb'al touched his lips and pondered to what happened. Slowly, he smiled…
Back to the Pandemonium Fortress, the necromancer stood not far from the gate. He watched the fiery firmament with amusement and enjoyed it. Then someone called him,
"Ah, there you are!" He turned to the standing Amazon. She smirked to him,
"What are you doing? Planning another mischief again?" Ignoring her, the necromancer said,
"Do you know that my great grandfather once fought in the Mage War?" Interested, Xelana went closer to him. He continued,
"Long time ago, the Mage War broke amongst the various mage clans like the Horadrims, Viz'jerei and Zakarumites. At that time, some necromancer took side with the Burning Hell. My great grandfather, Taf'yel served the Three faithfully and even created the mysterious golem for them…" Then his voice turned to anger
"Unfortunately, he was betrayed by Lord De Seis to the hand of his enemies! De Seis wanted the secret of the golem for himself, so he could get the credits. However, Taf'yel had taken the secret with him to the grave before De Seis could extract it…the poor traitor probably suffered the eternal torment from the Three…" The Amazon sniffed before she asked,
"So, your motive to come here is for vengeance?" Tha'el paid her with his usual smile, and then stared her with a lustful look,
"Well, not exactly…I'm open for suggestion…like pleasure," As his hand almost touched her butt, Xelana warned softly,
"One more touch, I'll make sure you won't enjoy it…" The necromancer frowned when he saw a knife was an inch from his groin. The Amazon pulled herself, and left him before saying,
"Oh, by the way! The little rogue is kind enough to tell me what happened with your first love…I won't lost my head over," Tha'el sighed as he turned back to the fiery sky
"It must be not my lucky day after all…"
Aliza strolled around the fortress, watching everybody inside. Then she saw Akivsha sat not far from Halbu's place. The assassin took off her boots to relieve her feet. At that time, the rogue spotted a crescent-shaped scar at her calf. Instantly, she remembered something in her past. In her memories, she saw two little girls chasing something. The first girl is red haired, while the other is black-haired. However, Aliza immediately returned to reality as Akivsha yelled to her,
"Hey, what do you looking at? Are you watching me?" Surprised, she said shyly,
"Um, nothing! Never mind…I must go…" The assassin shook her head as the rogue left her, and then she muttered,
"Silly girl…she reminds me to someone in my past…"
Author's note: OK, it is almost close! What kind of secrets that Izual knows? What is the relation between
Akivsha and Aliza in the past? What is Xelana's reason to help the heroes? You'll know more
about our heroes later in 'The Revelation'
(Act IV: The Harrowing)
Caldash trailed the stairs down to the last level of Durance of Hate. He was deep in though while walking. He still was thinking what happened above. As the others busied themselves with the necromancer, Orb'al went closer to him and gave the Khalim's Flail to him. After that, he left the barbarian alone. He has fought many monsters inside, but he succeeded in vanquishing them. However, he felt that his trusty shield won't stand long after received many abuse. The paladin stared the flail at his right hand, and then turned to the other end of the stairs. He whispered something,
Master, I won't disappoint you this time…
Meanwhile, the heroes managed to follow his trail. They were at the second level now. The paladin's trail was easy to spot since there were plenty of corpses behind. Akivsha returned to the others after checked the urdar's corpse. She sighed,
"No doubt, he was here awhile ago! These corpses have the same slashing wound…" Myrrick didn't reply, while Zylene pondered,
"I feel sorry to Caldash. He wasn't around when his family killed, and he couldn't do anything when his master was murdered…it must be hard to live with such painful memories," The sorceress wiped her tears. Somehow she felt herself lucky compared with Caldash. Aliza tried to comfort her, while Akivsha didn't say anything this time. Actually, the rogue mildly surprised. After what happened a while ago, nobody wondered the sudden change. Orb'al stood without say anything. Then the druid tightened his fists, while growled,
"This is the works of the Prime Evils!! What happened to Caldash and me was their fault! I'll ensure that they won't live long enough to make innocent people suffer! No matter what, I have to stop them once and for all!" Zylene and Aliza were quite surprised when they heard the druid's words. Myrrick commanded,
"Let's go! We must find Caldash before Mephisto does!" After that, he turned to Tha'el and cut his bind. Everyone but Akivsha didn't understood this act, yet the druid warned,
"No funny things, Rathma! If I catch you doing something suspicious, I'll make sure that you won't have another chance to do it…" The necromancer smiled sheepishly. Then they continued their journey to the underground.
At the last level, Caldash could smell the stench of blood at his surrounding. Bones and skulls scattered everywhere. However, he laid his sight upon the huge portal, which stood in the middle of the hall. The portal has a surface like water, yet the ripple was small. As the paladin went closer, a melodious, soft voice greeted him,
"Welcome, Caldash! Welcome home! I really missed you so much…" He turned back and saw mist around the Durance of Hate. There was a silhouette floated behind the mist. A creaking sound came, and he spotted Toorc behind him. The Council Member still held his severed part. The voice asked again,
"How is your journey? Is it pleasant? Where are your new friends?" The paladin smiled bitterly as he tried to control himself.
"Yes, I'm all right," he answered, "You have changed a lot, Sankekur…or should I call you Mephisto?" Slowly, something appeared from the mist. It was a thin, emancipated creature. Two-curled horn adorned his head, tentacles sprouted from its lower body and its eyes gleamed maliciously. Its voice turned cold and cruel,
"You too, Caldash! I was amazed when you are able to kill all Council Members single handedly; I believe that you have seen what the hatred is…" Caldash cut his sentence by asking,
"Why did you kill my master, then my family? Why?" He gripped the Sazabi tightly, while Mephisto laughed,
"Khalim is a fool; he refused my offer to work with me! Thanks to weak-willed Sankekur. He was more than willing to help me, unlike your master. Beside, he is not a match against my 'converted' Council Members! Am I right, Toorc?" The fallen Zakarum nodded nervously, but the demon continued,
"Your family simply stand at my way to be Que-Hegan…they're mere an innocent bystanders. Oh, by then there is nobody innocent…" As he heard the explanation, the paladin's face turned cold and hard like usual. Mephisto watched it with amusement,
"Perhaps I make a mistake by taking Sankekur! You possessed more hatred than I thought! Instead this weakling, you should be my vessel then." Caldash hissed,
"You are wrong, Mephisto! What is inside me is not hatred, but justice that demands retribution upon YOU!!" He immediately pulled his sword and shield into an offensive stance. Lord of Hatred merely guarded a distance from him. Then Toorc asked,
"M-my Lord, can we kill him now? Together, we can surely win!" The demon stared him with disgust before he said,
"Nice idea, Toorc! Unfortunately, there were some changes in our plan…and I didn't need you anymore…" Instantly, Mephisto unleashed a bolt of lightning toward the lesser demon. Toorc barely managed to scream as the bolt struck him at the chest and exploded with his body. Caldash didn't flinch even a single inch as he saw the event. He began to speak with a cynic tone,
"You just throw your last chance to win, Mephisto! Get ready to return to the Burning Hell!!"
The demon chuckled, "As I say before, I'm alone enough to kill you!!" With a sudden movement, he cast Poison Nova. The putrid and venomous cloud spread in a circular manner. Caldash brought his shield closer and broke the poison cloud. After avoiding the attack, he charged toward Mephisto immediately. However, the demon was fast enough to send three bolts of lightning. The Paladin could only hide himself behind the shield, as it shook from the impacts. He gritted his teeth as the electrical crackles surrounded his body. Caldash was aware that his shield would not stand for long. It was a matter of time only. Ignoring the pain, he ran again toward Mephisto and cast Might and Concentration aura together.
He sent a long slash toward his opponent. The demon managed to overstep it, yet the paladin persisted to pursue him.
Lord of Hatred frowned in his thought,
How come he can't defeat this mortal? Despite his immense power, he can't even bring this so-called 'holy knight' down! He realized he has to finish the knight before his friends came. Slowly, he began to charge himself, calling forth the unholy power within him. The electrical crackles around him became more intense. Staring the paladin, he hissed,
"Paladin, say your last prayer now! After I finished with you, nobody will recognize your corpse again!" Instead, Caldash lifted his sword and pointed it to the demon. He also brought his shield closer. Silently, he charged himself with Vengeance aura, while whispered solemnly,
"Soon I'll be with you, Master! I'm going to meet with you and my family! May the Light shine over my path," The elemental powers swirled inside his body. As both positioned themselves to deliver a lethal blow, the temple began to shake. The tension between them arose, as the air around them became suffocating.
The heroes arrived before the battle started. It was Aliza who spotted them first.
"Look!" She shouted. Everyone turned to the same direction as her. Had the assassin didn't block him, Myrrick almost ran to aid Caldash. She said with stern words,
"Let him alone, Myrrick! You can't do anything for him now! It is between them alone!"
Zylene protested, "Akivsha, Mephisto is very powerful! Caldash won't have a chance to win if he is alone; he is surely dead…" Akivsha replied back,
"I know, but he won't accept our help no matter what! Remember when he faced the Council of Zakarum before? Beside, he would feel ashamed after what happened above! He already broke his oath; for him his life is nothing! There is nothing we can do, but watch!" The barbarian didn't say anything, but nodded in agreement with her. Everyone watched him, when the assassin continued,
"I think Orb'al has the same thinking as I do," Myrrick turned his attention to Caldash and the demon that prepared themselves to fight.
Mephisto roared to his lungs, and then released Charged Bolt toward the paladin, followed by the skull projectiles and Lightning Bolt. Caldash deflected the first attack, though he was driven back by the impact. Yet, he persisted to forward though his body wasn't able to bear the attack. The projectiles exploded on the shield; at the same time the cracks around it became oblivious. Shouted his war cry, the paladin ran charging toward the demon. Then what happened was mired in a slow motion. Caldash avoided the projectiles while running. He even managed to slash the closest projectiles. Mephisto unleashed the powerful bolt as he went closer. The knight received it with his shield, and it exploded into smithereens. Caldash's left arm was exposed and blood was everywhere. Ignored his wounded arm, he continued to charge and stabbed Mephisto at his chest with his Sazabi. The demon's eye almost bulged out from his socket as the cold steel cuts through his flesh and bones. He writhed in pain, but the paladin lifted him high with his remaining strength. Blackish blood gushed to Caldash's body. Zylene and Aliza were unable to see the event, while Myrrick and Tha'el gasped in shock.
Lord of Hatred tried to allow a little smile, as he was close to verge of death. He hoped that he could transfer his soulstone to Caldash after his poisonous blood weakened the paladin. Suddenly, his face fell when he felt a warm, soothing and purifying aura came out from Caldash. He cursed,
"Damn, Cleansing aura!" The paladin smiled, "I already expected this, Mephisto! Your evil ends here!" However, the demon laughed insanely, instead disappointed,
"Do you think you already won? My death means nothing; Diablo and Baal will carry our plan…nobody is able to stop it, not even you…hehehhehehehe…they will ensure your demise…" The paladin frowned after heard that. Suddenly, the demon grabbed him with his last strength. Caldash struggled but Mephisto won't budge. Slowly, his body was filled with electrical crackles and began to swell. Then he exploded in a violent manner, unleashing a surge of infernal power below. The Black Temple shook violently. Zylene quickly cast Energy Shield to protect the others. Few hours later, the tremors subsidized and the dust slowly settled down. Myrrick was the first among them who moved out.
Akivsha, Orb'al and the others followed. As they checked the surrounding, the Zann-Esu found the battered body not far from the portal.
"Oh, no! IT is Caldash!!" Everyone came near; Akivsha quickly checked the vital signs. Myrrick asked worriedly,
"How is he? Is he dead?" The assassin shook her head in response,
"No, but he will if we aren't bring him immediately to a healer!" The rogue said,
"Could we give him a full rejuvenation potion here?"
"Yes, but he is still need a healer! I don't know what is broken inside him! The potion might alleviate his condition a while," Then Zylene suggested,
"Perhaps we can bring him to Ormus by using the Town Portal…" Everyone nodded in ag reement to her suggestion. Suddenly the necromancer slipped,
"By the way, who'll pursue Diablo? If we want to move him now, do it quickly! Nobody will know what will appear from the portal!" Myrrick replied impatiently,
"Do you have a better idea then?" Before anyone can reply, the portal rippled violently as a bright light came through. Someone appeared from the portal. The heroes readied their stance as a mysterious figure came. The posture looked athletic and the blond strands fell from the head. It was obvious that the mysterious guest was a woman. She wore a red armor and held a long javelin. Her hair was pony-tailed. When the female warrior got closer, Myrrick and Aliza recognized her instantly. The rogue shouted aloud,
"You! You are…the Amazon! Xelana!" The blond woman smiled in response,
"Well, look who is here!" Zylene asked Aliza,
"Do you know her, Aliza?" Aliza answered in the most unpleasant manner,
"Yes, we met her when entering Andariel's lair. She almost killed if we don't help her…" The Amazon immediately cut her sentence,
"Correction, both of you screwed my attempt to kill Andariel!" However, Akivsha shouted to her,
"Excuse me! We have someone dying here, and we have no time to hear your brag right now! If you have something to say, say it now! It is better than waste our time…" Xelana frowned when she heard the rebuke, while Aliza chuckled. Then the Amazon said,
"All right, I was sent here to help you! My order comes from Archangel Tyrael…"
The Zann-Esu surprised, "The Great Tyrael? Where is he?" Xelana stopped her, while explaining,
"Ho, slow down! The Archangel sends me to guide you to the Pandemonium Fortress; as you know Diablo has passed the portal a while ago! So, the Archangel afraid the minions of Hell might ambush you when passing the portal!" Myrrick nodded, and then he turned to the others,
"Zylene, you and Orb'al will bring Caldash to Kurast Harbor! Ask Ormus to help you once you arrived! The rest, including me, will follow Xelana to the Pandemonium Fortress! By the way, tell Deckard Cain to come at once; we might need his expertise there. You can join us after Caldash was healed…" The sorceress and the barbarian nodded, and then they carried the wounded paladin out from the place. Meanwhile, Tha'el picked a purple crystal from the fighting site. Before he put the crystal to his satchel,a javelin struck the ground close to him. He stumbled down to the floor with the crystal. As he arose, the Amazon already took the crystal. He said angrily,
"Hey, would you return that to me?" Xelana disdained him, while answer.
"Why should I? It wasn't yours…" Without warning, Akivsha snatched the crystal from her,
"And it isn't yours either! The crystal is Mephisto's Soulstone…did your mother tell you that picking the things that isn't yours is bad for your health?" The Amazon merely gritted her teeth,
"Nice advice, I'll remember that…" The druid could only sigh; now having two homicidal women was more than he could expect.
"Xelana, can you show us the way?" The Amazon looked him with disdain, before asking,
"Are you the leader now?" Myrrick growled as a reply,
"I was having a bad day, right now! No more jokes!"
"All right then, let's go!"
Everyone felt a prickling sensation as they passed through the portal, then they arrived at the huge fortress. It made from the sturdiest stones from the High Heavens and served as a stronghold for the champions of Light. Myrrick surprised to find few people around the fortress, even their numbers could be counted with fingers. A dark-skinned woman and a sturdy man greeted them warmly,
"Welcome to the Pandemonium Fortress, warriors! We have been waiting your coming for a long time!" Then she pointed herself and her companion,
"My name is Jamella, and he's Halbu! If you need something, just come to our stores!" As they spoke, Deckard Cain called them,
"Warriors, I have been waiting for you an hour ago!" Aliza couldn't keep his surprise,
"Cain! We just send Zylene and Orb'al to tell you to come, yet you always come first!" The Horadrim chuckled only,
"Really, it must become my habit now! Come, the Great Tyrael has been waiting for you!" Xelana shrugged her head only, as they went to the main hall.
The archangel floated on air, while his brilliance filled the entire building. His wings spread widely. Everyone but Tha'el knelt in respect. The necromancer stayed outside, watching them. The being spoke,
"Thanks to the Light, all of you arrive here safely! Xelana, thanks to your help!" The Amazon replied casually,
"Don't mention it, Great Tyrael! I'm glad to serve you…" Then Tyrael turned to Myrrick,
"Mephisto has been killed, but his brothers won't sit quietly…I don't know what they might plan for your world, but I'm sure it might not bode well! I'm glad that you managed to secure Mephisto's Soulstone!" The assassin asked with respect,
"Archangel Tyrael, how come the Soulstones fall to the Three's influence? I thought the Horadrims, the Viz'jerei and the Zakarumites use it to lock their soul and power for good…" The holy being sighed, before he answered the question,
"I wish I could give you the answer, but I don't know either. Somehow the Prime Evils managed to learn the secrets of the Soulstones. There is only one person who can give the answer for your questions…"
"His name was Izual, one of my trusted lieutenants; he's once the bearer of the Angelic Runeblade, Azurewrath. Three millennia ago, he led an attack to the Hellforge in order to prevent the completion of the Demonblade Shadowfang! However, he was overestimated his strength, and eventually overcome by minions of Chaos! The Prime Evils tortures him endlessly until he was forced to give up the Heaven's most guarded secrets. After finished, they threw him out from the Burning Hell. Izual tried to seek forgiveness, but instead he banished to the Chaos because of his treachery. As a punishment, his spirit was placed inside the most terrible creature from the Abyss. Unable to accept his condition, he became insane and wandered in the Burning Hell until now…" Myrrick pondered upon the story; somehow he felt he has not different from Izual. The thought broken when Tyrael said,
"You have to defeat Izual to free him from the endless torture, but be careful! He might see you as enemies, given the suffering that he experienced for millennia!" Akivsha inquired again,
"How about the Soulstones? Could we keep it here?" Suddenly, the holy being spoke in stern tone,
"No, far it from me! The Soulstones must be destroyed immediately, before it spreads its corrupting influence to others…since those stones has the Three's essence inside, keep it only means let the evil to return again with greater power!" Cain added,
"Remember to what happened to the last hero who defeated Diablo, Rayne! He convinced that he must plant the stone inside his body in order to keep the demon contained! Instead, the demon took control of him and slowly transformed the poor man into a walking nightmare…I won't forget the moment when he destroyed Tristram, the city that he selflessly protected before…" Myrrick remembered what he saw when they looked for Cain; also what happened to Griswold. Akivsha was silent; she could recall the last words of Blood Raven before she died. The druid gritted his teeth;
King Leoric, Prince Albrecht, Joanna, Rayne, Blood Raven! They were but few of Diablo's numerous victims! How much more the innocent people must suffer? Sensed the turmoil within everyone, Tyrael gave the comforting words,
"I can sense your anger; however we must keep focused to our objective! Nothing in the mortal plane could contain or destroy the Soulstone, except the Hammer from the Hellforge!"
Aliza asked, "The Hammer from the Hellforge?"
"It is the same Hammer that used to make Shadowfang, therefore the hammer is powerful enough to destroy the same darkness that contaminated the Soulstone…but the Hellforge itself is heavily guarded since Izual's failed attempt! Worse, the Hammer is in the hands of Hephasto the Armorer!" The Amazon surprised,
"Hephasto the Armorer? Who is he?" Cain explained,
"He's once a weaponsmith of Angel Inarius, but succumbs to Mephisto's corrupting power he served in ranks of Hell. Lord of Hatred rewards him with the Hammer and rank of master armorer in the Hellforge. The rank itself is the most coveted among the Overlords of Hell. Not only that, he has two disciples, the Smith and the Butcher…like their master, those demons also served the Three by provide the unholy armaments for their minions. The Butcher has been killed by Rayne when he went to the catacombs at Tristram." Akivsha immediately remembered her fight with the Smith at the Monastery before. Then she commented,
"I believe Hephasto won't easily give his Hammer to us…"
"You're right, assassin! I heard that the demon seek vengeance upon death of his last disciple…you must be careful by then," Finally, the archangel decided to close the conversation,
"I think our conversation is enough now! Take a rest, warriors! All of you must be tired after fighting Mephisto…beside you still waiting your friends at Kurast by now. If you need something, Jamella and Halbu will provide it for you…tomorrow will bring a new wisdom for us…" After that, he closed his wings. Myrrick and the others rose from the floor and left Tyrael alone.
Meanwhile at Kurast Harbor, the barbarian stood stoically at the port. He silently watched stars at the sky. Then Zylene called him,
"Hi, do you mind if I join you here?" Orb'al didn't reply; he turned his sight back to the sky. The Zann-Esu walked near him, while speaking,
"The night sometimes gives us peace…my elders once say that the stars know their own path, unlike us, the frail, mortal humans…" She began to sit at the port,
"Since I joined Myrrick and Aliza, I thought I already know what my destiny is…but I was wrong.
I know nothing!" Zylene turned to the barbarian,
"However, I'm glad that my journey is worth! I began to see what I lack…probably I'll never come back alive after going to the Burning Hell…well, nobody would cry my death then," Orb'al snorted only. Then the sorceress blushed,
"Oh, sorry for my ramblings! By the way, Caldash's condition is going better now! Ormus told me if there is no problem he could walk by tomorrow! So we could follow the others to the Pandemonium Fortress tomorrow…" Once again, there is no answer. Then Zylene rose up and walked toward Orb'al. Suddenly, she kissed him at his lips. The barbarian surprised, yet he didn't refused it. After that, Zylene said to him, while she smiled,
"Consider this as my gratitude…you know? I never kissed a man before; perhaps you are the first man I kissed! Good bye…" As she left the pier, Orb'al touched his lips and pondered to what happened. Slowly, he smiled…
Back to the Pandemonium Fortress, the necromancer stood not far from the gate. He watched the fiery firmament with amusement and enjoyed it. Then someone called him,
"Ah, there you are!" He turned to the standing Amazon. She smirked to him,
"What are you doing? Planning another mischief again?" Ignoring her, the necromancer said,
"Do you know that my great grandfather once fought in the Mage War?" Interested, Xelana went closer to him. He continued,
"Long time ago, the Mage War broke amongst the various mage clans like the Horadrims, Viz'jerei and Zakarumites. At that time, some necromancer took side with the Burning Hell. My great grandfather, Taf'yel served the Three faithfully and even created the mysterious golem for them…" Then his voice turned to anger
"Unfortunately, he was betrayed by Lord De Seis to the hand of his enemies! De Seis wanted the secret of the golem for himself, so he could get the credits. However, Taf'yel had taken the secret with him to the grave before De Seis could extract it…the poor traitor probably suffered the eternal torment from the Three…" The Amazon sniffed before she asked,
"So, your motive to come here is for vengeance?" Tha'el paid her with his usual smile, and then stared her with a lustful look,
"Well, not exactly…I'm open for suggestion…like pleasure," As his hand almost touched her butt, Xelana warned softly,
"One more touch, I'll make sure you won't enjoy it…" The necromancer frowned when he saw a knife was an inch from his groin. The Amazon pulled herself, and left him before saying,
"Oh, by the way! The little rogue is kind enough to tell me what happened with your first love…I won't lost my head over," Tha'el sighed as he turned back to the fiery sky
"It must be not my lucky day after all…"
Aliza strolled around the fortress, watching everybody inside. Then she saw Akivsha sat not far from Halbu's place. The assassin took off her boots to relieve her feet. At that time, the rogue spotted a crescent-shaped scar at her calf. Instantly, she remembered something in her past. In her memories, she saw two little girls chasing something. The first girl is red haired, while the other is black-haired. However, Aliza immediately returned to reality as Akivsha yelled to her,
"Hey, what do you looking at? Are you watching me?" Surprised, she said shyly,
"Um, nothing! Never mind…I must go…" The assassin shook her head as the rogue left her, and then she muttered,
"Silly girl…she reminds me to someone in my past…"
Author's note: OK, it is almost close! What kind of secrets that Izual knows? What is the relation between
Akivsha and Aliza in the past? What is Xelana's reason to help the heroes? You'll know more
about our heroes later in 'The Revelation'